The big picture
Psalms 104 opens in verse 1 with “Bless the LORD , O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 18 with “The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; and the rocks for the conies.”, and closes in verse 35 with “Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou…” Repeated or prominent terms include LORD, earth, hills, face, maketh. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Psalms · King James Version · 35Psalms 104:1-7
1–7: Bless the LORD , O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art…
Psalms 104:1–7 opens with “Bless the LORD , O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and…” and reaches “At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Psalms 104 develops its own movement around LORD, earth, hills, face, maketh, with particular weight carried by garment, LORD, maketh.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Bless the LORD , O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.” The promise, blessing, or covenant language needs its named recipient and scope. Those details prevent a personal word in the story from becoming a promise detached from context.
Psalms 104:1-7
King James Version1Bless the LORD , O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.
2Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment: who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain:
3Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters: who maketh the clouds his chariot: who walketh upon the wings of the wind:
4Who maketh his angels spirits; his ministers a flaming fire:
5Who laid the foundations of the earth, that it should not be removed for ever.
6Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a garment: the waters stood above the mountains.
7At thy rebuke they fled; at the voice of thy thunder they hasted away.
Psalms 104:8-14
8–14: They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place…
Psalms 104:8–14 opens with “They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded…” and reaches “He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Psalms 104 develops its own movement around LORD, earth, hills, face, maketh, with particular weight carried by earth, hills, valleys.
Context that brings the passage to life
“They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them.” The line’s distinctive content terms include founded, mountains, place. Its relationship to verses 9 shows what work it does in this passage.
Psalms 104:8-14
King James Version8They go up by the mountains; they go down by the valleys unto the place which thou hast founded for them.
9Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; that they turn not again to cover the earth.
10He sendeth the springs into the valleys, which run among the hills.
11They give drink to every beast of the field: the wild asses quench their thirst.
12By them shall the fowls of the heaven have their habitation, which sing among the branches.
13He watereth the hills from his chambers: the earth is satisfied with the fruit of thy works.
14He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man: that he may bring forth food out of the earth;
Psalms 104:15-21
15–21: Wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to…
Psalms 104:15–21 opens with “And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which…” and reaches “The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Psalms 104 develops its own movement around LORD, earth, hills, face, maketh, with particular weight carried by heart, trees, appointed.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man’s…” The line’s distinctive content terms include heart, bread, face. Its relationship to verses 16 shows what work it does in this passage.
Psalms 104:15-21
King James Version15And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, and oil to make his face to shine, and bread which strengtheneth man’s heart.
16The trees of the LORD are full of sap; the cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted;
17Where the birds make their nests: as for the stork, the fir trees are her house.
18The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; and the rocks for the conies.
19He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knoweth his going down.
20Thou makest darkness, and it is night: wherein all the beasts of the forest do creep forth.
21The young lions roar after their prey, and seek their meat from God.
Psalms 104:22-28
22–28: The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in…
Psalms 104:22–28 opens with “The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens.” and reaches “That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Psalms 104 develops its own movement around LORD, earth, hills, face, maketh, with particular weight carried by gather, ariseth, beasts.
Context that brings the passage to life
“The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens.” The line’s distinctive content terms include ariseth, dens, gather. Its relationship to verses 23 shows what work it does in this passage.
Psalms 104:22-28
King James Version22The sun ariseth, they gather themselves together, and lay them down in their dens.
23Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening.
24O LORD , how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all: the earth is full of thy riches.
25So is this great and wide sea, wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.
26There go the ships: there is that leviathan, whom thou hast made to play therein.
27These wait all upon thee; that thou mayest give them their meat in due season.
28That thou givest them they gather: thou openest thine hand, they are filled with good.
Psalms 104:29-35
29–35: Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath…
Psalms 104:29–35 opens with “Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to…” and reaches “Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on Psalms 104 develops its own movement around LORD, earth, hills, face, maketh, with particular weight carried by LORD, earth, face.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.” Naming Thou keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Psalms 104:29-35
King James Version29Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: thou takest away their breath, they die, and return to their dust.
30Thou sendest forth thy spirit, they are created: and thou renewest the face of the earth.
31The glory of the LORD shall endure for ever: the LORD shall rejoice in his works.
32He looketh on the earth, and it trembleth: he toucheth the hills, and they smoke.
33I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
34My meditation of him shall be sweet: I will be glad in the LORD .
35Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD , O my soul. Praise ye the LORD .
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Psalms 104:1 begins with “Bless the LORD , O my soul. O LORD my God, thou art very great; thou art clothed with honour and majesty.”
Where the chapter turns
Psalms 104:23 forms a natural hinge: “Man goeth forth unto his work and to his labour until the evening.”
The final note
Psalms 104:35 leaves the reader with “Let the sinners be consumed out of the earth, and let the wicked be no more. Bless thou the LORD , O my soul. Praise ye the LORD .”
A word trail through the chapter
The words LORD, earth, hills, face, maketh, sing help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
KJV words made clear
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
- hath
- has
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.